Symbols of Haven
by tentailedkitsune
Summary: Five years after the series' end, the tantei are forced to defend the Ningenkai after the kekkai barrier fails. However, there aren't enough tantei for the job. Do the new recruits have what it takes?
1. Prologue

Symbols of Haven

Prologue

Five years have passed since the end of Yuu Yuu Hakusho.

Yuusuke, as the Lord of the Makai, returned from his adventures in the Makai and married Keiko, while Master Genkai opened her temple to demons and spiritually aware humans who needed a place to stay. Kuwabara finally convinced Yukina to date him, and moved out of Shizuru's apartment. Hiei told Yukina of their shared parentage and found her unconditional love and acceptance to be a better healer than he ever dreamed. Kurama still had not informed his human mother as to his demonic nature, but Shiori was happily married to Hatanaka-san and Kurama could now play the role of the loving son from a distance. All four Rekai Tantei retired or were released from active Rekai service, due to the lack of need for their abilities.

But, as always happens after a period of peace, when the possibility of danger seems to be a distant memory, disaster strikes.

After centuries of constant strain, which intensified five years ago as a result of Sayko's and Sensui's meddling, the barrier that protected the Ningenkai from the Makai finally flickered, than failed completely, causing the foreseen apocalypse to commence nearly two hundred years early.

Taken by surprise, the Rekai Tantei teams that were stationed around the world did not stand a chance of turning the waves of demons back. Even though the ranks of Tantei were reinforced by the return of all former detectives, and eventually even spiritually aware Rekai Intelligence workers, the demons swept through the rudimentary forces and wiped out nearly the entire population of humans capable of fighting them. Within weeks, two thirds of the human populace was annihilated, and the Rekai found themselves helpless to stop it.

However, not all Spirit World personnel were taken down in this onslaught. In America, a small division of the remaining Tantei forces established headquarters in Dallas, Texas, and began gathering other detectives and human survivors to them. Slowly, they fought off the invading youkai, and created a border between the realm protected by the Tantei and the land overrun by demons.

Across the globe, other surviving groups of Tantei began emulating this process, until three havens had been created for the human survivors. The American Tantei expanded their control to include most of Texas, New Mexico, and Louisiana, while the European Tantei freed the islands of Ireland and Great Britain, as well as the northern half of France. In Asia, where the youkai were most numerous, Japan's islands were loosened from the demon infestation, as was the easternmost coastline of China. Straggling, broken bands of ragged humans journeyed to these glowing paradises, and the remaining population of the human race was estimated by King Enma to be around two billion.

Still, the establishment of the borders, kept diligently by the Tantei, only slowed the demons' raids against the human race. With nightly attacks on the depleted ranks of the Rekai Tantei, the demons slowly yet effectively began to reduce the number of humans that were capable of standing against them, often singling out a weaker detective and attacking them when they were alone. The numbers of able detectives continued to drop ominously, and any lingering hope for the human race after this calamity faded with it.

New recruits, of both youkai and human decent, were needed to defend the Ningenkai.


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Yikes, this chapter came out nothing like I had expected it to…and much longer, too. I like it better that the first draft, though. It's a lot darker.

Warning: This is the chapter where the 'disturbing images' bit comes in. You'll see why.

* * *

"I really fuckin' hate patrol duty." Yuusuke muttered under his breath. The tall orange-haired man walking beside his grinned and punched Yuusuke in the shoulder.

"What, is Urameshi afraid of a few little oni?"

"Kuwabara, are you ever going to outgrow your stupidity?"

"Oi, since when do you talk like Hiei?"

The two young men grinned at each other briefly, then turned their minds back to the chore at hand.

They passed down dark, filthy alleys crowded between tall, abandoned buildings, slowing only to navigate the debris-strewn paths. After pausing to clear a battered dumpster out of their way, Kuwabara turned to his companion.

"So, Kurama and Hiei thought there may be demon activity in this area? I don't sense anything."

"I don't either. If there were demons here, they're long gone by now. I guess even Hiei and Kurama can be wrong."

"Where are they, anyway?"

"They should be patrolling on the other side of town."

For a moment, the men traveled in silence, having nothing to say. As they turned down into another alley, this one layered in cold soot and ash from a long-dead fire in one of the buildings, Kuwabara found his eye drawn to a petite, grimy item that looked familiar to something he had seen in his sister's room years ago.

"Hey, Urameshi…Look at this…"

The tall, burly ningen bent down and picked up a small, soot-covered object. The diminutive toy was dwarfed by Kuwabara's large, rough hands as he brushed away some of the refuse off of the limp child's toy, exposing a tiny doll with jet black hair and once-white skin that was now yellowed. Yuusuke watched with an unexplainable feeling of trepidation as Kuwabara gently wiped more soot from the doll's face.

Inspecting the doll closely, Kuwabara noted aloud, "The clothes are faded and the seams are about to come apart…and some of these stains look like blood…this doll has either been here a long time, or it was so special to a child that they didn't want to give it up…" Kuwabara stopped, looking Yuusuke in the eyes.

"We don't have to look for the kid, do we?"

Yuusuke flinched and dropped his gaze to the well-loved toy in his friend's hands.

"Urameshi, let's just go back. There are no demons around here, and there's no way the kid is still alive. Let's go home before we find something we don't want to."

As if to punctuate the human's statement, a cold wind howled down the secluded alley, blowing trash and soot in a whirlwind of sorrowful fury. Yuusuke's eyes went past Kuwabara to fix on a child's pink shoe that protruded from a lumpy bundle wrapped in blankets. Dried, long-congealed blood formed a dark red stain on the concrete beneath the bundle.

Kuwabara followed Yuusuke's shocked gaze and turned an unearthly shade of white when he saw the shoe. Yuusuke raised a hand to his face, pressing his fingers against his mouth to quell the sickness he could feel building up. He turned his back and wandered blindly back the way they had come, his eyes closed tightly. Kuwabara also shut his eyes and retreated back a step, breathing deeply to steady himself. He swallowed hard, and walked forward until he was close enough to the bundle to put the doll on top. He closed his eyes and bowed briefly in prayer, then gazed mournfully at the doll.

"I'm sorry we weren't there. So very sorry…"

He wiped quickly at his tears, refusing top let Yuusuke see him cry, then turned and followed his friend down the alley.

* * *

Kurama, followed closely by Hiei, entered the makeshift Rekai tantei encampment, swinging the former hospital's doors wide. Hinageshi looked up at the newcomers from her seat by a patient, a young blonde man who was bleeding heavily from a gaping wound in his chest and abdomen. Hinageshi jumped to her feet and ran to Kurama and Hiei, tearful and distraught.

"Kurama-san!" she gasped, "Please, do you have anything I can give him to stop the bleeding? Yukina-chan and the other healers haven't arrived yet, and none of the human doctors know what to do!"

Kurama frowned, the lines of concern creasing his brow. He knelt beside the young man and inspected the gash more closely, his frown deepening when he noticed thin streaks of a putrid yellow substance swirled within the wound. Hiei, who was hovering over Kurama's shoulder and peering at the injury, began speculating.

"Infection? Or Poison?"

"Poison, if this is what I think it is. Hinageshi, what was he attacked by?"

"No one knows. He ignored protocol and went on patrol by himself. His partner caught up with him just in time to chase a demon off of him. The guy said that it looked like a moving shadow was sucking this guy up through a straw."

"Then I'm right. It was a sub-species of gaki that attacked him, except instead of drinking blood or ki, this kind liquefies its victim's internal organs. They are usually very weak and avoid leaving their cave homes alone, so this one was stupid, crazy, or unafraid. In any case, it's a good thing this guy's partner got there when he did. There wasn't enough venom injected to kill this guy outright, but he still may not survive because of the blood loss. I can't give him anything to stop the bleeding because the venom prevents clotting and there is no cure for it, but I can give him something for the pain and to help him sleep."

He reached into a pouch of seeds that he had taken to wearing and pulled out two small white seeds. He focused his ki into the glossy seeds, commanding them to grow into mature plants with dark green foliage, and handed the plants to Hinageshi.

"Extract the juices from the roots, then through the rest of the plant away. It's toxic. Boil the juices until they turn clear, then get him to drink all of it."

Hiei tapped the kitsune's shoulder impatiently. As he did so, a distracted and harassed looking Botan bounded out of the stair well, sending the metal door crashing into the wall. Kurama stared briefly at the ferry girl, who was painstakingly working her way toward them through a maze of stretchers on the floor, then turned to face his smaller friend.

"What is it, Hiei?"

The fire demon shrugged.

"I just wanted to warn you that the ditz was coming."

Kurama smiled and turned to gaze at the blue haired woman who had finally joined them.

"Kurama, Hiei, have you seen Yuusuke and Kuwabara?" she inquired, her face tense and her voice nervous. Kurama and Hiei exchanged glances.

"What happened?" Kurama asked, uncertain if he wanted an explanation. Botan looked confused for a moment before realization struck her. Laughing obnoxiously, a sound that sounded strange in a room full of wounded humans, she waved away Kurama's and Hiei's concerns with a pale hand.

"No, no, it's nothing like that, silly! Koenma has a new mission for his old team! With a few new members of course, but you'll see what I mean when we get to Koenma's office! Oh, I mean his Ningenkai 'Base of Operations'. He's set up for business right here in this building! We'll have to go up a few flights of stairs, but that's no big…"

Kurama forestalled Botan's long-winded monologue with a raised hand.

"Why don't we just go?"

"Right! Hinageshi, when you see Yuusuke and Kuwabara, tell them to come upstairs for their new mission!"

Hinageshi looked up from her station beside the ailing blonde man.

"Yeah, sure. I will."

* * *

Still feeling strangely subdued after their encounter in the alley, Kuwabara and Yuusuke had barely stepped into the hospital-turned-base before Hinageshi had ordered them upstairs. The two young men trooped up several flights of stairs and then walked down a narrow white corridor before arriving at Koenma's Ningenkai office.

The youthful Prince of the Dead was in his teenaged form, and he was lounging in a cushioned grey rolling chair while glaring fretfully at the other occupants of his office. Botan had led Kurama and Hiei into the office and then left, cheerily talking about her need to return to her ferry girl duties. Also in his office was a dark haired human youth, whom the tantei did not know and who was leaning against the wall with a scowl painted on his face.

"It's about time that you two decided to show up." Koenma snapped irritably. "Come in and sit down, we have a lot to go over. First off, this young man here," he pointed to the stranger "is a member of the American tantei. His name is J and he will be joining you on this mission." J nodded his head in a form of greeting. Koenma then introduced the other tantei members to J, pointing to them each in turn. "J, this is Yuusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, and Kurama. Now that we all know each other, we can get down to business."

He reached into his desk and pulled out a thick stack of files.

"As you are most likely aware, the ranks of the Rekai Tantei have become…depleted. I have pulled every living former Tantei back into service, and transferred eligible candidates out of other Spirit World occupations. I even considered reviving dead fighters, but I think that had better be an absolute last resort. Even I can't mess with the laws of life and death too far."

Kurama nodded knowingly, his thoughtful eyes closed. J, Yuusuke and Hiei were glaring at Koenma, and Kuwabara was fidgeting impatiently. Koenma rolled his eyes and continued.

"Still, the Ningenkai is being destroyed by demons that are slipping through the boundaries. I had some of my ogres run through and narrow down the files of a few hundred prospective youkai and hanyous, and then I went through the remaining files and personally selected a fairly large group of human sympathizers and convicted criminals that can work off their sentences as Tantei.

I need the five of you to track down and recruit these demons and half-breeds any way possible. For the criminals, I would suggest offering the same deal I offered Kurama and Hiei. Work for the Rekai, and the sentence will be lighter. The human sympathizers should be fairly easy to enlist, but finding them will be very difficult.

Oh, and I sent word to Suzuki from the Dark Tournament. He will inform the group of demons he is with that I would be greatly in their debt if they were to join me."

Seeing that Yuusuke was about to ask a question, Koenma held up a hand.

"Easy Yuusuke, I'm getting there. Jin and Touya contacted me two days ago and said that they are willing to fight for us. Actually, I think it's more of a case that Jin wants to help, and he's dragging Touya along. They are already on their way here, and they will be staying at Genkai's until the others arrive. You'll get to see your excitable red-haired friend again, Yuusuke. Does that answer your question?"

Yuusuke's grin was his only answer.

"Jin and Touya will be picking up one of the recruits on their way here, mostly because we want to get the guy before Mukuro kills him."

Hiei's crimson eyes fastened menacingly on Koenma.

"He pissed Mukuro off. No big deal. Anyway, Yuusuke, J, and Kurama, you three will be going after a small band of thieves, led by a hanyou woman named Jodi Miyoshi. The Rekai has had dealings with her in the past. Nothing major, just relocation orders when she was a child. But you may want to be careful; she hates everyone that has anything to do with the Rekai. She blames us for her problems. Still, Miyoshi should be smart enough to come without a fight. Offer her the same deal I offered you, Kurama. Serve in the Rekai Tantei and it'll be a shorter sentence than what she'll get in Spirit Jail. If she asks what her crimes are, tell her we have twelve counts of theft on her."

Kurama raised an eyebrow as Koenma handed most of the files to him, and the god found himself biting back a laugh.

"She may be the leader of a band of thieves, but she's nowhere near your level of expertise." Koenma grinned mischievously. "Not to mention we've had a Rekai Intelligence worker infiltrate her band. Which reminds me, you'll need to bring in as many of the band members as you can. You can ask George for the band's location and head out. In the meantime, you may want to look through that yourself. There are more details on Miyoshi and her band in there. Be careful of the one named Kiona. He's a kitsune, too, but he's a former mercenary and he's very loyal to Miyoshi. He may cause trouble."

Kurama nodded and began to flip through the files, his emerald eyes memorizing each page while Yuusuke and J hovered over him. Koenma turned to Hiei and handed most of the remaining files to the smaller fire demon.

"These are the recorded crimes of a wolf youkai named Joseph. You won't be offering him quite the same deal as the others, though. You see, the Rekai wants to hire him. He's a mercenary, and he'll probably work for us like he has in the past. You may be able to find him at The Head Hunter's Inn, since that's where he spends most of his time between his jobs. When you find him, tell him that we are willing to pay double the usual fee, and that he will also be receiving free training from professional fighters. Name people he will know, like Genkai and Yuusuke, maybe Youko Kurama. Also, while you're there, ask around to see if there are any other demons willing to work for the Rekai. I doubt there will be many. You may want to get started now, because the innkeepers don't let any one in after daybreak."

Hiei nodded curtly and walk out of the office without glancing at the files. Koenma handed the remaining file to Kuwabara.

"You will be doing something slightly different than the others. The person I want you to find is a former Rekai tantei. His name is Keith, and he retired from the European tantei a year ago. We always thought he'd be one of the first detectives to return to service when the disaster struck, but he disappeared the day he retired. We believe he is somewhere along the boundary between the human and youkai territories in Europe. I'm sorry, but we can't tell you any more."

Kuwabara opened the file, looked at the picture of the red-headed Keith, then passed the file back to Koenma. Kuwabara smiled at his employer.

"I just needed to know what the guy looked like."

The detective walked out of the office without another word.

Koenma leaned back, looking very satisfied now that he had gotten something done. He closed his eyes and sighed in relief, relishing the brief pause from paperwork. Then his eyes snapped open and he sat up straight, sending papers flying across his desk.

"What are you three still doing here?" A muscle in Koenma's cheek twitched when his tirade was met by three blank stares "Get out there and find those demons!"

* * *

A/N: Well, that was fun. I actually have something resembling humor in this chapter.

1 Yes, Kuwabara prayed. I don't care what religion, if any, you wish to pick for him to be.

2 A gaki is basically a vampire from the Makai, but I made up this sub-species, pretty much on the spur of the moment.

3 The inn is also something I made up, but it's been in the works for a while because the innkeepers are going to play a role in the plot. Don't bug me for details, because I won't give them. You'll just have to keep reading.

I'll get the next chapter typed up eventually. Don't worry, I actually have an idea on what it's going to be about.


	3. Chapter 2

SoH Chapter 2

A/N: Jin and Touya finally show up in this chapter, but I can't write an Irish accent very well yet, so I decided not to torture my few readers with bad dialect. Also, Touya comes off as a bit of a jerk in this chapter.

Warnings: Kiona's foul mouth, Jodi's foul mouth, implied het, implied alcohol usage, general violence.

Jodi Miyoshi awoke with a scowl marring her pale face.

The blue eyed bat demon sat up in her bed, which was little more than a pile of blankets, and listened to her second-in-command's shouts from a few tents down from her own.

"The bastards snuck away in the night!" He paused, and the sound of rattling filled the silent morning air. "Damn it! They took most of our supplies with them, too! And all the food! Who the hell was on guard duty last night?"

A softer voice, one she recognized as belonging to the bird demon, Sam, answered in a soothing tone.

"Mitsuko and Kameko were on guard." He hesitated. "They're gone, too."

Kiona was silent, but Jodi could nearly feel the kitsune's fury and outrage as he walked toward her tent. He stopped outside the doorway and called out softly, almost as though he was hoping Jodi would still be asleep.

"Jodi? You awake?"

"Come in, Kiona."

The blue haired demon pulled the tent flap open and sat next to his winged leader.

"Jodi…"

"I know, we've had more members abandon us to run wild in the Ningenkai. Same thing that's been happening for weeks now."

Kiona smiled forlornly at her and fidgeted with the sleeve of his black shirt. Jodi grimly smiled back.

"Stupid Reikai. They can't even keep the barrier up for more than a few hundred years. Who's left?"

"You, me, Sam, and Eve. Why do we always get stuck with the amateurs?"

Sam was still outside and was looking through the remaining supplies to see what had been taken. Eve, an abnormally cheerful koorime who had followed the band until the koumori felt obligated to let the girl join, was probably still sleeping, undisturbed by the early morning commotion.

Jodi rubbed her temples, trying in vain to ward off the headache she could feel building.

"Kiona, be nice. We'll just have to find more youkai somewhere that don't mind taking orders from a female hanyou and a tailless kitsune."

The fox grinned, ignoring the implied insult.

"Maybe one day I'll explain how I lost my tail."

"Maybe one day I'll pretend to listen."

She leaned back and softly slapped the back of Kiona's head

"I'll get Eve up, and then we can start moving camp and what not. Get out, I need to get dressed."

Kiona's eyes brightened with a childish glee.

"Can I watch?"

"No. Get out."

He smirked, laughing to himself as he left her tent.

The koumori tossed the blankets off of her body and began rummaging through an old, battered pack that clearly suffered from a lack of organization. She roughly pulled her long, pale blonde hair into a high ponytail, and slipped on a loose pair of silvery pants and a midnight blue shirt, with long sleeves and slits down the back for her leathery wings. Looking down and still pulling on her boots, she left her tent and nearly crashed into the much taller Sam.

The brown haired bird demon towered over her, and his caramel eyes gazed down at his boss with a dull confusion.

"Miyoshi-san? I'm sure you've heard, but…"

"I've lost more band members. Yeah, I've heard. Is Eve still asleep?"

"Yes, Miyoshi-san."

"Will you stop calling me that? My name is Jodi. Oh, and start packing your stuff. We're about to leave."

Sam smiled down at her and continued on his way. Jodi turned in the opposite direction and walked to a dark grey tent that was sheathed in ice. With a booted foot, she broke the ice that had made the tent flaps into a solid wall, then pulled one side open and stood to the side, allowing a blast of freezing air to escape the makeshift home's small confines. Jodi ducked into the tent without noticing the slick ice that coated the ground.

With a yelp and a curse, Jodi slipped on the ice and was thrown to the earth, sliding until her feet hit the edge of Eve's bed. The koumori cursed again and kicked viciously, landing a blow on the koorime's back squarely enough to knock the smaller demon out of her bed. Eve let out a short scream and released her energy in an icy bolt that narrowly missed her leader's head. Realizing her mistake too late, the turquoise haired koorime stared at Jodi, confused by the intrusion so early in the morning and frightened of the stronger youkai's retaliation.

Jodi's eyes narrowed as she struggled to keep her irritation from morphing into anger. She rubbed her temples again, now trying to relieve the pain from her fully-fledged headache.

"Good. Morning. Eve." She snarled through clenched teeth, keeping her voice low so as not to aggravate the pain resonating through her skull. Eve flinched and dropped her magenta-hued gaze.

"Good morning, Miyoshi-sama."

Jodi glared. Eve swallowed nervously.

"I-I mean, 'Good morning, Jodi.'"

"Get packed. We're leaving in fifteen minutes for a new camping site. When you've got everything packed, meet the rest of us at that big sakura tree to the west of us."

Without waiting for a response, Jodi lurched to her feet, trying to look dignified as she slipped around on the ice again, and stalked out of the tent, heading back for her own corner of the campsite. Kiona and Sam were already hard at work, filling their own packs with clothing and blankets, and cramming other bags with the few tents and utensils that remained.

Her own tent was loaded up within minutes, and more items were crammed haphazardly into her pack. Jodi shouldered the bulky sack and hefted a bag full of supplies. Kiona was already seated beneath the sakura tree, his own bags scattered at his feet. The slender, black-clad kitsune watched his leader approach, following her every movement with his cloudy blue eyes.

She smiled to herself, thinking of the first time she had laid eyes on the foul-mouthed fox. His smoky eyes had fooled her into believing he was blind, when in fact his eyesight was sharper than her own. He had nearly gotten away with a bag filled to the rim with jewels she had stolen the previous night before she had realized that she was not dealing with a blind beggar.

"What are you smiling about, you evil bitch?"

"Nosy jackass. Can't I take a trip down memory lane with out being interrogated?"

"Nostalgic whore. I bet you were fantasizing about me."

"What's there to fantasize about?"

The demons grinned at each other, knowing better than to take the insults personally. The other two demons were walking toward the tree, Sam carrying a much heavier burden than Eve. However, before they could quite reach the tree, a voice called out from the forest around the small band.

"Good, they're already packed up and ready to leave!"

"Yuusuke, please. Let me handle this."

A red-haired young man stepped out from between two large trees.

"I need to speak with the one named Jodi Miyoshi," he said, his emerald eyes boring into Jodi's.

* * *

Rochelle glanced around the darkened forest that surrounded her and realized that she was alone. The voorime stopped on the partially overgrown trail that she and her mate had marched on for the last two days and looked around more closely with her green, cat-like eyes. Still seeing no one, she extended her ki, feeling for the man she had dedicated her life to. When she didn't feel him, she began to panic. Fear for her beloved's life clutched her stomach, sending icy ripples through her body.

"Stratimone!"

Her cry echoed through the deep forest, then faded to an unmerciful silence.

"Stratimone! Where are you?"

/'Here, love.'/

The wolf demon's mind gently touched hers through their bond, and Rochelle blushed with embarrassment that she hadn't thought of searching through their bond before panicking. She turned to face the direction that she felt his affection and amusement emanating from.

/'Where did you go? And why are you in that form? You know I can't sense you when you're like that.'/

Stratimone trotted out of the forest, a large black wolf with a white scar that crossed his face between his gleaming silver eyes. He gently rebuked her.

/'I wanted to check out the area, and nature is always more receptive to me in my wolf form.'/

He rose up on his hind legs and swiftly altered his body to something more human. His hair faded and disappeared except for a thick mane on the top of his head that fell wildly around his face, and the scar vanished entirely. He was thin, but muscular, and easily stood six feet tall. He kissed Rochelle quickly on the cheek, then walked past her, taking the lead. Rochelle shot him a nasty look, put off by his sudden arrogant behavior.

"You know I don't like it when you take off without warning. What if Mukuro is still looking for us? You know she probably is. She's probably got hordes of youkai on the hunt. She isn't the type to forgive and forget."

"She's most likely too busy keeping the Reikai off her ass to worry too much about a rebel and the assassin that refused to kill his target."

"And how would you know that? Her heir works for the Reikai. I'd bet she's given Prince Koenma entire legions of youkai."

The black-and-red haired voorime and her grey-eyed mate jumped in surprise when a tall demon with shaggy red hair appeared out of nowhere on the path ahead of them.

"Well, that's one bet you'd be a fool to make."

The youkai grinned at the pair, his blue eyes dancing joyously. Behind him, a blue haired demon with mint green bangs and piercing blue eyes leaned casually against a tree, looking off to the side and appearing not to take any notice of his companion or the couple. Stratimone stepped forward, trying to seem menacing and not at all afraid.

"And how would you know? Do you serve Lord Mukuro?"

"Nah, I don't serve anyone except for my own free will. I just keep up on all the current news. Or rather, he does," the youkai added, motioning to the other demon behind him with his chin. "He just tells me about anything interesting that happens."

"Who are you?" Rochelle demanded from behind Stratimone.

"My name is Jin, and the anti-social one here is Touya." Jin grinned at Touya, who continued to ignore them.

"While you're answering questions, may we ask you what you're purpose here is?" Stratimone pursued.

Touya spoke before Jin. "Actually, we are here to collect you."

"What?"

Jin nodded.

"Yeah, that's right. Koenma wants whichever one of you that's named Stratimone to join the Tantei until the youkai have been driven back to the Makai and the barrier is back up."

Touya spoke up again, still not looking at the group.

"In exchange for your service, he promises protection from Mukuro and her allies."

"And how does he plan to do that?" Stratimone asked suspiciously.

Jin stared at Stratimone.

"How're we supposed to know? You'll have to ask Koenma yourself, I suppose."

"And what about Rochelle?" Stratimone asked, nodding toward the voorime, "I'm not going anywhere without her."

Touya finally faced the group, his icy blue eyes monitoring the other demons.

"Koenma's request was only for you, Stratimone."

Jin quickly stepped between Stratimone and Touya.

"I'm sure we can bring the woman. Koenma may be glad about having an extra fighter."

Touya appraised Jin with a cold stare, but he turned away as though the topic no longer held his interest. In a soft voice that only Jin could hear, Touya muttered, "Fine, but you will be the one to explain to the toddler."

Jin turned his brilliant smile to Stratimone and Rochelle.

"So, do we have a deal?"

Rochelle smiled back, much to Stratimone's chagrin.

"I'd rather be alive and in Reikai's service than be dead by Mukuro's hand. You bet we have a deal!"

A/N: Next Chapter- Hiei goes in search of the mercenary Joseph at the notorious Head Hunter's Inn and Pub, while Kuwabara begins his own chase of the elusive former detective Keith.


	4. Chapter 3

SoH

Chapter 3

I realized that Flamara Cat Eyes is right about the need for a Japanese/English dictionary! I didn't realize I was using so many Japanese terms…and if I've gotten anything wrong or missed something, simply point is out and I'll change it.

Youkai- demon

Neko- cat demon

Kitsune- fox demon

Youko- fox demon

Voorime- Fire Maiden

Koorime- Ice Maiden (I also call Hiei this, since he's half koorime)

Koumori- Bat demon (like Kuronue)

* * *

Hiei gazed up at the blood-red sign above him, proclaiming in black scripted letters the name of the nearby structure to be 'The Head Hunters Inn and Pub'. Before him, a four-story building made of red brick gracefully emerged from a thick grove of trees. Hiei could see demons seated at the windows, and pulsating shadows farther within belied the presence of still more youkai.

At the entrance, a silver haired woman with pointed ear tips watched him closely, suspicion making her dark eyes glitter coldly. He met her icy gaze with a glare of his own as he approached the doorway, knowing that showing any timidity or hesitation would be detrimental to his image, and likely get him turned away or killed.

The elfin woman's eyes narrowed when she was certain Hiei was headed her way, and she rose to block his access to the door. Hiei's ruby eyes met her onyx gaze evenly.

"I take it you're supposed to be the bouncer? Adeen, right?"

"What's your business here?"

Hiei glared at the woman.

"It's a pub, is it not? I'm here to buy a few drinks."

"Alone?"

"Maybe I'll pick up a wench or two before the night is over."

Adeen snorted sourly.

"My, you _do_ sound confident."

The woman stepped aside and let Hiei silently enter the building. Inside, the dim lanterns barely emitted enough light for the koorime to see the roiling mass of youkai that flooded the pub. As Hiei was forced to side-step and dodge and slip between the pub's patrons in the darkened room, a teenage kitsune emerged from the pulsing crowd and slammed into the koorime. The tray of drinks he had been carrying crashed into the ground, and several of the glasses broke, spilling their contents across the floor in a dark puddle.

The kitsune scrambled across the wooden floor, snatching up the fallen glasses that hadn't broken and cringing away from Hiei as though the young fox expected a blow at any minute. Hiei glared down at the younger youkai, making no move to help the fox, then began to walk around the stressed kitsune. The teenager remained crouched low to the ground, clutching an empty glass to his chest with one hand and balancing the reloaded wooden tray with the other. He nervously watched Hiei and waited for the older koorime to leave, his lavender eyes flickering back and forth between the floor and the koorime.

A neko woman, wearing a black and red kimono that matched the inn's sign, sprung out from between two much taller demons and cuffed the back of the kitsune's head.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Get back to work, you stupid git!"

She tossed her long copper hair back over her shoulder and stood up with her hands on her hips. The kitsune stooped to collect another glass, then quickly ducked away between a few groups of youkai. The neko's acid green eyes focused on a stray glass left behind by the small fox, and she knelt to pick it up.

"Hey, Jacob!"

The brown haired kitsune reappeared between the same two youkai that had concealed the neko's approach.

"Yes, Miss Aeri?"

Jacob's lavender eyes grew wide and he was forced to duck quickly when the cat hurled the glass at him with childish glee.

The glass passed between the demons and over Jacob's head, landing with an ear-splitting _CRASH_ on a tabletop where the glass fractured and scattered into thousands of crystalline splinters.

Youkai around the room turned to see what had happened and many cheered Aeri enthusiastically. She walked past the rattled kitsune without a sideways glance and made her way back to her station behind the bar. Hiei smirked and followed closely.

SUB-CHAPTER

Kuwabara rushed down the twisted, littered alley, clutching his light jacket close against the fierce European winter snow and glaring at the shadowed spaces to either side of him. He could feel two auras nearby, one red-orange and the other a smoky grey edged in red. Both energies were flaring wildly, flashing in the still winter night like beacons.

Kuwabara took a corner at full speed…and went crashing down, sliding across the icy concrete. The curly haired tantei kicked out to regain his footing, and ended up bringing a trash bin down with him. The resulting crash thundered through the deserted street and reverberated through the adjacent alleys.

After the final echoes died away, Kuwabara noticed that the previously flaring reikis had calmed and were approaching. The human peered up from his sprawled position on the cold ground and saw a tall red haired man and a diminutive black haired girl walking along the street toward him. Kuwabara quickly clambered to his feet, now dripping with melting snow. The black haired human continued across the street toward him, but her red headed companion halted on the sidewalk. The girl was barely half of Kuwabara's height, but she didn't seem to notice as she marched up to older tantei.

"What do you think you're doing out here alone?" she demanded of him, "And at night, too! Do you need us to accompany you back to the haven?"

Kuwabara's jaw dropped, but as the girl started to turn away, his shock melted away enough for him to do something he had not done since his years at Junior High. Pulling himself up to his full adult height, the orange haired man placed one fist against his heart and shouted for the entire world to hear.

"I am Kuwabara Kazuma, the protector of the weak, the defender of love, and the strongest Spirit detective that has ever lived!"

The smaller girl stepped back, one eyebrow raised and a skeptical twist to her lips. Her companion crossed the street to join her and looked Kuwabara in the eyes.

"You work for Koenma?"

Kuwabara nodded, his dark eyes shifting from the girl to the man, his confidence suddenly vanishing.

"Then tell him to fuck off. I don't work for the Reikai anymore."

The red head turned and stalked off without looking back, leaving Kuwabara once again speechless. The girl watched her companion go, then turned back to Kuwabara with a frown.

"We need to get you out of those clothes before you get sick. And we should probably leave anyway…before we receive more unexpected guests. You can ride with me. By the way, my name's Ash."

The girl was already walking away before Kuwabara realized he had been given a command. He hurried to catch up with her.

"Ride?"

"You'll see. Hey, how is it that you speak English anyway? You're from Japan, right?"

"Yes, I live in Tokyo. Kurama, one of my closest friends, taught me how. If you and Keith will come back with me you might be able to train with him."

Ash lifted an eyebrow.

"Are you hitting on me or trying to bribe me?"

"_What?_ I'm engaged!"

"Really? I would have never guessed."

* * *

Next Chapter: Hiei meets Joseph at last, but only after coming face to face with the neko sisters who own Head Hunters, Kuwabara is faced with the challenge of convincing Keith and Ash to join the tantei, and Yuusuke, J, and Kurama bring the remainder of Jodi's gang of thieves back to the Rekai. 


	5. Chapter 4

SoH04

Sorry this took so long to put up, but I really hate typing and this is by far the longest chapter yet!

Disclaimer: I make a reference to the Sex Pistols, but I do not own them nor their music.

Language, implied het and implied yaoi. References to alcohol and drugs.

--------------------------

Jodi froze, her blue eyes warily regarding the redheaded stranger.

"Who are you?"

The red head responded, smiling beatifically, "I assume you are Jodi Miyoshi. I'm Youko Kurama."

Jodi heard a snort coming from behind her.

Kiona taunted, "Who do you think you're kidding? You're no youko, you're human!"

"In this form, yes, I am. I am Youko Kurama, and I am here to discuss Rekai Tantei business with Jodi Miyoshi."

"Who needs to discuss anything? Miyoshi-san, you and your…whatever you call these guys…are coming with us."

Jodi's attention shifted from Kurama to the new speaker, a black-haired man who looked to be the same age as the self-proclaimed fox.

"And you are?"

"Urameshi Yuusuke."

All of the thieves, even the usually ignorant Eve, took a step back in alarm.

"And this guy," Yuusuke jerked a thumb in the direction of a brown haired human who stood several paces behind Yuusuke and Kurama, "is J. And the three of us are here to take you back to the Rekai."

Jodi's blue eyes flashed, but Kiona beat her outburst with a snarling retort of his own.

"Why the hell should we go with you fuckers? Do you really think we're going to let you throw us in jail?"

Yuusuke snapped back, "You're not going to jail, dumbass!"

"Please Yuusuke, let me handle this. You rather lack tact," Kurama interrupted, "Miyoshi-san," Jodi cringed, "My co-workers and I are here to recruit you and your teammates for the Rekai Tantei."

The kitsune's announcement was met with a pause of incredulous silence before Kiona burst into laughter.

Jodi grinned uncertainly, "You can't be serious. Us? Fighting _for_ the tantei? Why should we?"

It was Kurama's turn to grin.

"Because if you do not, you will be sent to Spirit Jail to serve time for your crimes. And, it is my understanding that the sentence you will serve in prison will be quite a bit longer than the time you could spend as a detective, considering that there are twelve cases of grand theft booked against you."

Kiona's laughter died and Jodi's smile vanished.

The blonde koumori glanced over her shoulder at her grim band mates.

"So, we're not playing around anymore?"

"I wasn't aware that we ever were," he retorted pleasantly.

Jodi signed, and smiled wanly, "Damn. If we fight?"

"We beat the crap outta you and throw you in prison," Yuusuke volunteered.

"And if we run?"

J sneered, "We catch you, beat the crap outta you, and throw you in prison."

"Then I guess we have no choice," she put her hands in the air to show her surrender, "I will serve the punishment for my crimes in the Rekai Tantei."

Behind her, Sam copied Jodi's gesture and prodded Eve to do the same. Kiona exploded with rage.

"Jodi! How in the fucking hell can you _help_ these bastards! They're the ones that forced you into this sort of life! You're a thief _because_ of these sons of bitches!" he rounded on the tantei, "And who the hell do you three think you are, coming here and demanding that we work for you? I don't remember signing any goddamned contract with the likes of you!"

J walked around Yuusuke and Kurama and planted his feet just outside of Kiona's reach.

"That's because you haven't signed it yet. You're the one called Kiona, right?"

The kitsune glared at the human warily, making J's smirk widen.

"Koenma said you might cause trouble. He also said that you might be surprisingly loyal to you're leader.

'It's rather unusual, really, for a kitsune to be so devoted to anyone but himself. Maybe it has something to do with losing your tail," behind him, Kurama's breath hissed warningly, "Or maybe you've lost something else as well."

Kiona lunged at J with a snarl and knocked the taller human to the ground. Jodi leapt to her second's aid, but was swept up into a headlock by Yuusuke, her leathery wings pinned painfully against his chest. Eve and Sam shied away from the fighting pairs but were cut off by an unyielding Kurama.

J threw Kiona off of him and bounced to his feet, his eyes glittering darkly and his fists raised.

The kitsune lunged at him again, but J was ready for the attack. The human fired a short reiki blast directly into Kiona's chest at point blank range with enough force to throw the fox into, and through, a nearby grove of trees.

SUB-CHAPTER

Hiei seated himself atop a tall stool at the end of the bar closest to the cash register.

Aeri joined her sister, a russet brown neko with sky blue eyes, behind the bar. Both sisters glanced at the shorter demon, then Aeri's sister nodded and left to attend to the customers. Aeri leaned against the bar and smiled cruelly at Hiei.

"So, what can I do for you?"

"I need to find someone."

"Oh?"

"I hear he's been staying here."

"You'll need to be a bit more specific. Many guys stay here, and not all of them are paying customers who sign up for rooms. Who do you want?"

"Joseph."

"The mercenary?"

"That's the guy."

"Only Joseph? If your hiring mercenaries, I have a list of names of mercs who are looking for work…" a folded paper slipped into Aeri's hand.

Hiei considered the list for a moment.

"I'll take the list, but I want Joseph's room number all the same."

A handful of gold coins appeared on the bar between them, then vanished again under Aeri's hand.

"Hey, Ambie," the russet colored neko appeared again, "What room is out Joseph staying in?"

Ambie's icy blue eyes studied Hiei for a moment before she answered.

"I believe he's in room 219 on the third floor. I trust you can find it?"

"Yes, I can find it."

Aeri handed the slip of paper to Hiei, who pushed off of the barstool and walked to the stairwell, feeling blue and green eyes follow his every move.

Once he had vanished at the top of the stairs, Aeri beckoned to Hollis, the only full time waitress that Head Hunter's employed. The mahogany haired youkai leaned against the bar, her lionian tail flicking impatiently behind her.

"Yes, Aeri?"

"Did you see that black-haired demon that just went up the stairs?"

"The short one with red eyes?"

"Yes. I want you to…"

"What are you two doing now?"

Ambie slipped one arm over her sister's conspiratorially. Aeri smirked.

"Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Oh, come on, tell me!"

Hollis grinned her long fangs reflecting the pub's dim light, "I think you're sister was about to ask me to spy on a customer."

"Oh, is that all? Or is there something special about this one?"

"If my sources are right, and you know they always are, out little customer is a member of Koenma-san's Rekai Tantei, as well as the heir to Lord Mukuro's throne," Aeri's acidic eyes gleamed, "And, he told me himself that he's here looking for mercenaries. Not just any mercenaries, either…he asked specifically for Joseph."

Ambie focused intently on her sister's acid green eyes.

"Is Mukuro planning an attack on Yomi? Koenma? The Ningenkai is mostly unprotected right now…could she be attempting to take it over?"

"That's what I want Hollis to find out."

The lioness smiled at her employers again and slipped through the crowd toward the stair well.

SUB-CHAPTER

"So, do you and Keith patrol the boundaries for the Rekai Tantei?" Kuwabara shouted into Ash's helmet-covered ear, hoping she could hear him over the roar of the motorcycle's engine.

She frowned over her shoulder at him, "Why the hell would be do that? We just move around, helping people at the havens and fighting off demons."

"You keep mentioning 'havens'. What are they?"

"There places where humans go to avoid demon attacks. Tantei will usually establish one in a hospital or a school or a mall or somewhere else that's really big and has all of the facilities that a large group of humans will need. Once it's started up, humans will flock to them and start living there, and people like me and Keith and Runic travel from haven to haven to help people and fight off demons if any are in the area."

"Runic?"

"She's a healer that I've known since primary school. Of course, we didn't know she was a healer until the barrier crashed. It had a weird effect on some people…they started gaining powers. Runic found out she could heal a few months ago when her little brother, Liam, got sick and she accidentally cured him. She's been improving her skills ever since."

"Did you get your abilities at the same time?"

"No, I've always had a little bit of a spirit sense. It just didn't become strong enough to be a fighting ability until I met Keith two years ago and he started training me."

She gazed solemnly at Keith's back as he sailed ahead of them on another bike.

"What's it like, being a spirit detective?" she asked suddenly, "Keith won't talk to me about it."

"It's the only job I've ever had that I've stayed with. Koenma can be a prick, but I like fighting and I like being around my friends, so I can tolerate him. Actually, now that I think about it, I only met Yukina because I hang around Yuusuke."

"Who are they?"

"Yuusuke's my best friend. We're sort of like you and Runic…we've known each other forever. And Yukina…" his eyes glazed over slightly and a soft smile touched his lips, "She's my fiancé, and the love of my life."

"You're such a sap. C'mon, we're here."

Keith was already parking in front a huge, once grand hotel that now slouched on the earth like a decrepit recluse. The buildings around the old hotel had been demolished, leaving the hotel to look abandoned and alone in a field of dust and broken glass. A small knot of ragged humans huddled on the front steps and glowered at the newcomers.

Keith walked by them calmly, but Ash hovered behind to speak to Kuwabara, her voice strangely muted by the open air.

"These people are the ones in charge of protecting this particular haven. None of them are officially tantei, but they are all spiritually aware. And they're all human."

Still trying to understand the significance of that last statement, Kuwabara followed Ash up the front steps to the front door, only to find his path blocked by a ruddy giant of a man with dark eyes and hair.

"Who're you? An' wha's your business here?"

"My name is Kuwabara Kazuma, I'm a Rekai Tantei, and I'm not entirely sure why I'm here."

"He's here to talk to Keith," Ash interjected imperiously. The ruddy man ignored her.

"Do you fraternize with demons?"

"What do you mean?"

"He's asking you if you know anyone that's a demon. C'mon, we need to catch up with Keith," Ash was getting impatient.

Kuwabara stepped around the larger man carefully, and was relieved when the stranger didn't move except to follow Kuwabara with his dark eyes.

Once the door clicked shut behind them, Kuwabara turned to Ash.

"What was that about?"

"These humans have become extremely…resentful about the demon presence in NIngenkai. That's why so many of the tantei refuse to stay one place. Too many of them either have demon blood or demon friends, and the humans who have lost their loved ones or their homes to demons have started to despise anything that has to do with the Makai."

"But, that doesn't make any sense! The tantei are here to _protect_ the Human World!"

"Fear and hatred need no reason, Kuwabara," Keith emerged from the shadowed entrance and guided them to a brightly lit lobby.

Much like the hospital in Tokyo, the lobby was lined with low stretchers that extended in rows to either direction of the archway. Wounded humans were sprawled in most of the stretchers, though one group was sitting up and playing cards.

Somewhere, someone had found a working CD player. The strained sounds of the Sex Pistols' "God Save the Queen" warbled faintly through the bloodstained air.

Keith walked swiftly past the sleeping patients and the card players and stopped once he reached a stretcher that was inhabited by a lanky blonde girl.

"Get up, Runic."

The blonde stirred, but didn't fully awake. Keith kicked the stretcher hard enough to jolt it several inches into the air. Runic yelped and grabbed each side of the stretcher, looking around frantically and still not quite coherent.

"Wha? Wha's happening? Are we being attacked again?"

"Wake up Runic! We've got a visitor from the Reikai," Ash flopped onto the next stretcher, "His name is Kuwabara Kazuma."

The healer sat up, her watery blue eyes still a little hazy. Keith took a seat next to her but turned his attention to Kuwabara.

"Koenma sent you after me, didn't he?"

"Yes, he did. He said you would help us rid Ningenkai of the invaders."

"Don't you think that if I wanted to work for the Rekai that's what I'd be doing at this very moment? I wanted some time away from being ordered around like a common soldier."

"But you're a tantei…"

"No, I _was_ a tantei. Now I'm a traveling freelance exterminator of any and all youkai that threaten the human race," his statement had the practiced feel of a company slogan.

"But Keith, you've always said yourself that the Rekai has always been better equipped for war with the Makai than an entire army of freelancers could possibly be," Ash stared at Keith accusingly, "Why are you changing answers now that there's an agent of the Rekai right in front of you?"

Keith sighed, his exhausted eyes staring through the floor into the depths of the world.

"I think I'm just tired. Tired of taking orders, tired of mission after mission, and tired of being constantly cut off from the rest of humanity. I just wanted to retire and find a nice little apartment somewhere so I could spend the last half of my years making my own life. And then the barrier failed, and I was denied even that much peace."

His eyes lifted to find Kuwabara's.

"You're still young enough to enjoy the constant movement and danger that a tantei's life brings. I'm not. I left that age a long time ago and got old," he smiled, but the smile looked more like a grimace of pain, "I'm still young physically…but gods, have I aged!"

Ash's sorrowful voice brought both men's attention to her, "Keith, the Human Realm still needs your help. What does it matter if you're working for the Rekai or not? You still have to fight. It may as well be with a team at your back made up of people like Kuwabara."

Keith acknowledged her point with a nod, but still looked undecided.

"It can't possibly be that bad, Keith, to work for the Rekai. I think we should go with Kuwabara and see what Koenma-sama's offering," Runic intoned softly.

Keith sighed again.

"Alright, I'll go see Koenma and I'll consider rejoining the Rekai Tantei."

"And we'll go, too," Ash added, adamant, "Because we're not staying here to fight demons alone while you're off chatting with a demi-god."

SUB-CHAPTER

Hiei paused outside room 219, his crimson eyes regarding the door suspiciously. However, his suspicions were laid to rest when a panting whore with ludicrously large breasts tumbled out of the door and nearly crashed into the koorime.

"So, you're next for Joseph? Heh, I thought he requested all women tonight. Unless…" her brown eyes studied Hiei and she gave him a lewd smile, "Unless…"

Hiei pushed past her, shoving her indecorously into the wall and slamming the door in her face.

Joseph's room was crowded with boxes and books and odds and ends of armor and weapons, and smelled of booze, recent sex, and drugs that were illegal even in the Makai. Joseph himself was sprawled out on his bed, wearing only a light blue sheet that barely covered the essentials. The wolf opened his eyes to see who had entered his room, and nearly sprang to his feet when he discovered his privacy had been invaded by a black haired male.

"Whoa, man, I told Aeri I only wanted females. If she or Ambie sent you up here they were either setting you up or trying to embarrass me. I don't fuck males."

"I'm not here to have sex with you. I'm here to hire you for a job."

Joseph visibly brightened, "Oh, really? Who for, how much is the pay and what's the target? Details, man! I need details!"

The demon swung out of bed, leaving the sheet behind, and began searching for clothing amid the piles of junk. Hiei averted his eyes, and tightened his grip on his temper.

"The Prince of the Dead, Koenma, is hiring. The pay is twice the usual fee, and the target is every demon that has invaded the Ningenkai."

Joseph paused in the middle of buttoning on a pair of jeans, "Are you serious?"

"Yes. But you won't be fighting alone. You'll be fighting side by side with the strongest humans and demons alive today, including Genkai-sama, Urameshi Yuusuke, Youko Kurama, and myself."

"And you'd be…" Joseph pulled a shirt over his head, "Hmmm…Jaganshi Hiei, right?"

"Precisely."

The wolf grinned.

"Damn! This may be my most exciting job yet!"

Are you going to pack anything? Or just hope that Koenma happens to have all the supplies that you need?"

"Oh, right. Give me a minute and I'll get a bag."

SUB-CHAPTER

When Hollis reappeared in the stairwell, Ambie tossed the mug she had been wiping compulsively for the last five minutes onto Jacob's tray and made her way to Aeri's side to hear Hollis' report.

"The customer is hiring mercenaries to fight for Koenma-san. Apparently, things have gotten _so_ bad in the Rekai that our _beloved_," her sarcastic inflection on the word brought a snort of laughter from both sisters, "Prince of the Dead is in desperate need o soldiers to fight back the demon invasion of Ningenkai. He's so desperate, in fact, that even volunteer fighters would probably be taken in without question," her red eyes slid to watch Jacob bus tables.

Aeri was grinning so maniacally that she was getting strange looks from nearby demons.

"Hey Jacob! I need to talk to you for a moment!"

SUB-CHAPTER

Hiei opened the door to Joseph's room and promptly pinned a frightened kitsune against the wall with his katana blade pressed against the fox's throat.

"Please," Jacob choked, "Please, I just want to leave with you. I'll do anything to get away from those two!"

"Who are 'those two'?"

Joseph's voice answered from behind Hiei, "He's probably talking about the sisters who own this place. They treat him horribly here."

Hiei glanced over his shoulder at the wolf and sheathed his katana, but didn't say anything.

"Will you please let me go with you? Please, I'll do anything you say! I'll fight the demon hordes single handedly! I'll cook every meal of you life! I'll…" he trailed off, his eyes gliding from Hiei's crimson eyes to his belt line and back, "I'll even…"

"There's no need," Hiei interrupted sharply, "If you want to come with us so badly, you can come, but I'm not responsible for you."

The koorime turned on his heels and stalked down the corridor. Joseph looped a friendly arm around Jacob's neck.

"So, what was it that you were willing to do to come along with us?"

The wolf's laughter echoed through the hallway when the weak light revealed Jacob's blush.

-------------------------------

I promise that the next chapter will wrap all of this recruiting up so we can get on with the action! And has anyone else noticed that people keep literally running into Hiei at Head Hunter's? Poor guy. It must be Aeri and Ambie's doing.


End file.
